Would a Walkman work in space? | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The Walkman's durability is put to the test by freezing it in liquid nitrogen, but it ultimately fails to function properly in extreme cold temperatures.

Key Insights

• 🎥 The Walkman's nostalgia was revived by the movie "Guardians of the Galaxy."
• 🥶 Liquid nitrogen freezing causes the cassette tape and battery to become brittle.
• 🥶 The Walkman's physical durability is commendable, but it fails to operate in extreme cold temperatures.
• 👾 The movie portrayal of a functioning Walkman in space is unrealistic.
• 🙈 It is important not to believe everything seen in movies.
• 👾 The Walkman's outdated technology is not built to withstand the challenges of space.
• 🎼 Advances in portable music devices have rendered the Walkman obsolete.

Transcript

( music playing ) Marques: The original Walkman has been an outdated piece of tech for a while now, but the movie "Guardians of the Galaxy" released in 2014, sort of brought the nostalgia of the original Walkman back. In that film, Chris Pratt's character Peter Quill had one cassette tape in one Walkman through 26 years in space. It can be as ... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What prompted the experiment on the durability of the Walkman?

The movie "Guardians of the Galaxy" reminded people of the Walkman, leading to curiosity about its ability to survive in space for an extended period.

Q: How does liquid nitrogen affect the cassette tape and battery?

Liquid nitrogen freezes the cassette tape and battery, causing them to become brittle and potentially unusable.

Q: What part of the Walkman did not survive the freezing?

The small window on the Walkman broke off due to its brittleness in extreme cold temperatures.

Q: Does the Walkman still function after being frozen in liquid nitrogen?

While the Walkman remains physically intact, it fails to play music properly, indicating that it would not have functioned in the extreme cold of space.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The movie "Guardians of the Galaxy" revived nostalgia for the Walkman, prompting an experiment to determine if it could have survived in space for 26 years.

• The Walkman, cassette tape, and headphones are frozen in liquid nitrogen, causing the cassette tape and battery to become brittle.

• Although the Walkman remains physically intact, it fails to function properly, indicating that it would not have played music in the extreme cold of space.